If ala carte does happen, many of the channels will disappear without the subdizing they are getting now with tier programming.
What is the fewest number of actual viewers (subscribers) that a channel can have and survive? Unless they expand their advertising, they will go under. And we already have too much infomercialling anyway.
I would like ala carte just to get rid of the clutter channels I have to have now to get the channels I want. Through my expanded basic, I have to filter through 70 channels to get to 30 I watch occasionally-frequently. 40 are "remote-through's" to get to the other channels.
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What is the fewest number of actual viewers (subscribers) that a channel can have and survive? Unless they expand their advertising, they will go under. And we already have too much infomercialling anyway."
Another factor is that the cost per channel will go up, maybe way up.
Bundling is the reason MSNBC still exists. If there were some market pressure on NBC, they'd just fold the "successful" broadcasts into CNBC. But people who think they will save a lot of money will be disappointed. The big bucks channels will be the ones everybody watches. Discovery really subsidizes MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, etc. to a very large extent. Families will probably pay the same or more. Single people and roommates with similar interests will be the ones who can benefit.